Charlie 2011 - 2024

I can hardly believe that I'm writing this post, but just over a week ago now, our beloved Charlie bear passed away peacefully at home, curled up in his favourite cat bed.

He hadn't been himself for a little while but he was still eating and drinking, using his litter tray, and running away from Max, so we just thought it was down to his age, but as the days and hours went on we realised that he was nearing the end, we had an appointment made at the vets, but he didn't make it and crossed rainbow bridge, at home, safe with me, my mam and Max close by.

Since we only lost Tallulah in February and with the sad loss of my Aunt earlier this year, this one has hit extra hard. He was stubborn, aloof at times, and a complete cuddlebug when he felt like it, I'll miss his one of a kind personality, his loud rattly purr and his fabulous floofy tail. 

Out of all of the cats that we've had he was probably my biggest confidant, the amount of stuff I told this cat, I should be lucky that he couldn't talk or that we can't translate cat! When I was having having one of my regular spells of insomnia, he would lie on the bed, asleep and snoring usually but always there to provide some comfort and companionship.

So Max is now on his own - For the first few days he wandered around the house looking for him, running every time he heard a noise, now he seems more accepting, we let him see him when he'd gone which I think helped, but now he's in his clingy phase, always wanting to with us, and sleeping at night curled up next to me or my mam. He's never been an only cat in his life so we will more than likely end up getting him a friend, when everything feels less raw and painful.

Whilst I have been posting here and there on social media perhaps understandably I haven't really felt in the mood to blog and post about happier things but I'm going to try and regain some sort of normality starting next week and resume some sort of normal posting schedule, so thanks again for bearing with me and for all of your kind words elsewhere on social media x 

Tallulah 2009 - 2024

I've had this post on the back burner for a little while, and I hoped and prayed that it would be an eternity before I had to post it, but it wasn't to be, my beautiful girl passed away at home this morning.

When she came to live with us she was about the size of old fashioned powder puff, but despite her diminutive size, she was fierce, she spent most of the first 24 hours hiding, and hissing at us and our other cats at the time, Jasper and Jake, who was petrified of her.

The next day she was a different cat, still a touch wary and prone to hiding but she became a cuddlebug, a tiny ball of fluff that demanded attention and her own way, and whilst she increased slightly in size her personality never changed - she was noisy, stubborn, and probably the most jealous cat that I've ever met but she was mine and I loved her, her quirky ways and her silky black fur. beyond words. 

Tallulah

2009 - 2024

When Life Gets In The Way - Family Illness, Covid, Mould, Guttering And A Poorly Cat*

I once made a pledge on this blog to stop apologising for disappearing, repetition and lack of posting, and whilst i guess this is a bit of an apology (what can I say I'm one of those people who always says sorry even when it's not my fault!), it's more of an update and explanation as to what's been going on in my life over the last month or so and why I've been neglecting the blog.

With several bereavements and my own health struggles, it's safe to say that I'd already ranked 2023 pretty highly on the shitty year index, but throw in what's been going on over the last couple of month and it's probably at the top of the pile!

If you follow me elsewhere on social media (updated links in the sidebar if you don't), then you'll know that my mam has been pretty poorly. She was admitted into hospital towards the end of July with the same old, same old, some sort of infection, that course through her body leaving her with a raging fever and unable to walk. They did the usual, blasted her with antibiotics only this time she suffered a reaction to one of them so they had to switch it and start again, after a couple of days she was heading in the right direction, and I was preparing to go in and see her and then everything went wrong.

As is common with especially elderly people she suffered a spell of infection related delirium and confusion. To say I wouldn't wish that 24 hours or so on anyone would be an understatement. She called me and various family members multiple times alternating between crying and ranting, from seeing things that weren't there, to having no idea of where she was, to refusing treatment and not letting the hospital staff touch her - it was horrible and utterly heartbreaking  I really can't thank the staff and University Hospital Of North Durham, and my family and friends enough, and of course everyone who replied to my Instagram stories on the day. I spoke to several nurses and one doctor over the course of the day and they assured me that once they got a handle on the infection she would improve, and thankfully that's what happened. I didn't speak to her again until the next lunch time and whilst she was still confused she had much more of a grip on reality, and was cooperating with staff again, and by the time I spoke to her again that night she was nearly back to normal, although completely mortified with how she'd behaved. 

Thankfully she continued to get better, well at least until she caught covid! They weren't 100% sure if that was the cause of the original infection or whether she caught it whilst she was in hospital but thankfully bar a hacking cough, distorted taste and smell, her oxygen levels remained good, and after 11 days in hospital she was allowed home. It took her another week to test negative, and about another 3 to get back up to speed but she's doing well, she's been given some more medication for bone strength, and the hospital have been in touch with social services to get some hand rails put up outside to help with her mobility and access to the drive, and the car.

Obviously this was a major mental screw up for me, it's bad enough having one relative in hospital at once but at my godmother was also admitted in the same week, and whilst she was released after a few days it was really tough for me. On that Sunday I really felt as though I'd lost my mum, to be scared to speak to her because at that moment in time she was as far away from her normal self as it was possible to be was terrifying - thankfully as I stay I had some support at the time but dealing with it afterwards in my own head has been tough and I'm not going to lie I've struggled - but as my mam says I'm a lot stronger than I think I am, and at last I think I'm beginning to realise that.

With my mum being poorly and getting some much needed rest, I've obviously had to step it up and take on all of the tasks that need to be done on a daily basis in order to keep a house running smoothly, so given that my physical and mental health sap so much of my energy as it is, I've pretty much been running on empty, but you know why not kick someone when there down!

For a little while I'm been smelling a sort of musty smell in my bedroom, sort of like damp, so eventually admitted defeat and investigated only to find a patch of mould on the wall - arghhhhhh! so everything to be moved to I could treat it and if you have any mould in your house be it on the walls, or bathroom tiles then you need to get this stuff from Amazon, it makes your house smell like a swimming pool but it was gone without any scrubbing or effort in less than an hour, and my shower tiles are now gleaming as well! We knew we had an issue with the guttering so we got someone out to have a look at it and it's much worse than we anticipated - it's leaked under the fascia and into the cavity wall, and the roof joists hence the patches of mould in various other rooms in the house - it never rains but it pours literally! Bye bye several grand grrrr!

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the title of this post also mentioned a poorly cat, well if all of that wasn't enough, Charlie developed some sort of infection in his gums, so after a few days of hiding, hissing, and not eating, a antibiotic jab, and a course of oral anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, and some special dental food, and a pretty little vet bill, he's thankfully eating and back to his fluffy self - phew!

So hopefully that explains my absence, I've been so mentally and physically drained that I just wasn't up to blogging, or doing pretty much anything else come to think about it, but (touches every bit of wood in the house and crosses my fingers very tightly!) hopefully the stars are realigning and things are returning to normal or whatever normal is, so I should be able to start getting a few more posts up, starting with an empties catch up later this week x 

Again a huge thank you to all of you who've contacted me on social media over the last month or so and thanks again for sticking with me x 

*This Post Contains An Affiliate And A Non Affiliate Link

Post Contains Press Sample* - Christmas Gifts Under £25 For The Cat Lover In Your Life **

So, there are less than two weeks to go to the big day - so you have less than two weeks to tick off everybody on your list and to get all of your shopping done. There is always somebody though that you struggle with, so what I tend to do is look at the hobbies and interests, what do they do for fun, and what do they like. Me? well I love cats, so cat based gifts are always appreciated, and if you know a cat lover I've curated a little list of some of the best pressies out there for those cat people in your life, and even better still everything that I've chosen is under £25

1. Cat & Dog Slogan Mugs - £1.99 Each - B&M / 2. Set Of 2 Disney Glasses - £6 - B&M / 3. Metal Flask - Cats - £4 - B&M / 4. Cat Mug & Cosy Socks Set - £14 - Paperchase / 5. Orla Kiely Cat Mug - Pink - 300ml - £10.50 - John Lewis

1. Vintage Floral Cat Doorstep By Riva Home - £14 - NEXT / 2. Set Of 4 Ceramic Cat Coasters By Hannah Turner - £21.99 - Paper Tiger / 3. Pack Of 8 Wooden Cat Magnets - £3 - Paperchase / 4. Mini Cat's Whiskers Planter - £4.50 - Sass & Belle / 5. Cat Doormat - £8.00 - Matalan / 6. Multicolour Magnets Shaped Like Cat Butts - £18.98 - Trouva

Kikkerland Cat Yoga Magnets - £12.50 - Paper Tiger*

I know I'm not alone in this one, but I love useful presents, and something that I can always find a use for is a magnet. We use them on the fridge and on the freezer, and I've even got a magnet board, in my craft room / office, both to cheer the place up a bit and to hold notes, pictures and to do lists. I've some pretty boring ones on there and I've got some super cute ones including these more recent additions from Kikkerland.

I was kindly sent these by a PR company and I have to say I absolutely love them. Back in the day I used to be a bit of a yoga bunny, I went to a class every week, I practised at home, and I think I was pretty decent. Alas my body isn't anywhere near as flexible as it was but at least I my yoga dreams can live on through these Cat Yoga Magnets.

In each pack you get 5 different coloured cats, partaking in 5 different yoga positions. They are made of a solid resin / plastic, and are beautifully detailed with clear faces, facial expressions and paws. 

They aren't the biggest magnets, and the small circular magnet on the back of each cat isn't that big either but it is pretty strong, so they will hold all of you photos and notes securely in place.

I think that these magnets would make a great fun but useful gift for either a yoga fan or a cat lover. Kikkerland products are available from a wider variety of retailers but these particular magnets retail at £12.50 from Paper Tiger.

1. Mog The Forgetful Cat Plush Soft Tea - £12.99 - John Lewis / 2. Wild & Woofy Mug & Pet Bowl Set - £18 - John Lewis / 3. White Cat String LED Lights - £4.99 - New Look / 4. Cardboard Whack-A-Mouse For Cats - £5 - Home Essentials / Simply Be / 5. Kids Kitten Unicorn Donut Money Box - £5 - Matalan

1. Cream Coffee Cuddles & Cats Socks - £2.49 - New Look / 2. Cotton Cat Short Sleeve Pyjama Set - £15 - Marks & Spencer / 3. Brakeburn Cats Classic Scarf - £19 - NEXT / 4. White Cat And Dog Christmas Tote Bag - £4 - George At Asda / 5. Pretty Animalz Cat Sheet Mask - £4 ASOS / 6. Tangle Teezer X Skinny Dip Compact Styler Detangling Brush - Relaxed Cat - £14 - NEXT / ASOS

Woof And Whiskers Collection Cat Shopper - £3 - B&M

Now look carefully at some of the gifts that I've shared and you'll notice that there are quite a few from B&M. B&M is probably one of my favourite shops at the moment, they literally sell everything, and they have a really good range of Christmas gifts, including a whole range of Woof And Whiskers pet themed pressies ranging from mugs to cushions, to tote bags.

I'd been on the look out for a foldable shopping bag, that I could stick in my handbag and this one was only £3.  It looks just like a purse with a 100% polyurethane, leather feeling grey cat design outer, but undo the zip, and fold it out and you have a fabulous pink and white stripe 100% polyester shopping bag. Foldable bags can often be pretty small but this one isn't a bad size, and it despite feeling fairly lightweight, it seems pretty strong.

Again it's something that is super useful, only this time at a really affordable price. I think that this bag would make a great stocking filler, or little pressie, and at just £3 you definitely wouldn't feel guilty for buying one for yourself as well.

If you know somebody that's crazy about cats I hope that you've seen something here that they might like x Don't forget of course that there are also a lot of both national and local animal charities out there that are desperately seeking help at this time of year, so don't forget to check them out for gift ideas and of course to make a donation x Have you seen any good cat gift ideas out there this year? Let me know in the comments x

*Press Sample

** This Post Contains Added Non Affiliate, And Automatic Affiliate Links

AD / Gifted - Gus And Bella Box July 2019 Edition - Treats For You And Your Cats*

It seems to be an almost unwritten rule that you shouldn't work with children or animals, well in my case my cats are my children, and believe me this blog post has tested every ounce of my patience. I do forgive them though, I've had cats ever since I was a tiny little girl, and my 3 despite their many indiscretions really are my babies, all be it babies with whiskers, four legs and tails!

Okay, I probably do sound a little bit crazy, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that, any pet owner will tell you that their pets, aren't just animals they actually become part of the family, and their health and happiness is as important as any human in the household.

Someone who would agree with that statement entirely is Emily McMahon. Inspired by her experience of finding ways to both entertain and care for her two London born and bred, indoor cats, Gus And Bella. Emily created the Gus And Bella Box, which is specially designed to "deliver happiness to both cats and their humans".

I'm a huge lover of the subscription box idea, and being the crazy cat lady that I am the Gus And Bella box just ticks so many boxes for me. Not only does it contain a variety of high quality treats and wellness items for your furry friends but also contains cat themed treats for us human cat lovers. Every box contains 2 to 3 cat themed products from humans, 3 to 4 treats for your cats, the Gus And Bella Guide To Healthy Happy Cats, as well as the chance to win fabulous prizes with a random golden ticket giveaway.

Like most subscription boxes now there a variety of different subscription options, the best value option is to sign up for a monthly subscription option which costs £26.95 a month with £2.95 tracked P&P, but if that sounds like too much, you can also opt to receive a box every 2 months for £28.95 with the same P&P. If you aren't a cat fan though (why? what's wrong with you?) but someone you know is, you can also buy a one off gift box for £30 with the same tracked P&P.

The first box which is the July box is just hitting doormats now and Emily and the team were kind enough to send me a box to review.

 The box itself is made of a nice, sturdy cardboard, it can be easily closed and sealed back up so it's definitely one that you could reuse. The first things that you find when you open the box are two leaflets. The first one tells you about the box and the contents, and the second leaflet is The Gus & Bella Guide To Healthy, Happy Cats. This particular edition is all about having a healthy happy cat this summer and includes tips on how to keep you cat cool in the warm weather, and how to make your own kitty pool.

Underneath the leaflets, the contents of your box is securely wrapped in a large sheet of tissue paper. There were actually two layers of products in the box separated by a whole pile of white shredded paper. My boys especially have a thing for shredded paper so I'm not sure if it was the box contents itself or the shred that sparked Charlie and Max's interest - I'll let you decide ;)

Sass & Belle Set Of 3 Cutie Cat Lunchboxes

I think the thing that I really like about the whole Gus And Bella concept is the fact that is contains goodies for both yourself and your cats. Every Gus And Bella box will contain cat themed self care, beauty or lifestyle treats for you. Loving cats as I do I have loads of cat themed things around the house, from mugs, to aprons, t-shirts and even a couple of Sass & Belle cushions. I love Sass & Belle and their cute and quirky, home and lifestyle ideas and the first edition of the Gus And Bella Box contains two Sass & Belle items from their Cutie Cat range. The first item in the box was a set of three mini lunchboxes, the largest one is is just big enough for a sandwich or a pasta salad, and the two smaller ones are perfect for fruit or veg snacks. They are microwave safe without the lids and retail at around £6 for the set.

Sass & Belle Cutie Cat Picnic Bag 

The box also contains a coordinating lunch bag, also in the cutie cat design. It features a black and white cat design on a peach and pink background, and it has two peach, fabric carry handles. It's has an insulated foil lining, so all you need to do is add a cool pack, and this little bag is perfect for picnics and even for brightening up your work or school lunch. It has a recommended retail price of £5.

Candy Kittens Eton Mess Gourmet Sweets - 24g

I think all subscription boxes should contain sweeties, and in keeping with the cat theme, this box contains a packet of sweeties from one of my favourite brands Candy Kittens. Now I'm not that familiar with Made In Chelsea, but if you are Candy Kittens is the brain child of MIC alumni Jamie Laing. The gummies are gluten free and are suitable for vegetarians. These particular ones are strawberry flavoured and contain only natural colours and fruit juices, in the this real strawberry juice and coconut water. The peach ones are my real love but these are pretty nice and their shaped like cats! I can't find this particular size bag online but their 54g Pop bag retails at £1.

Test Your Cat - The Cat IQ Test By E. M. Bard

If you have pets how clever do you think they are? Mine definitely have their derpy moments and at times I think Charlie especially is a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic but there is no doubt cats are very perceptive, and they figure things out pretty quickly. This next item is something for both you and your cats. This 128 page paperback book contains a series of questions and tasks, so you can find out just how clever your cat really is. I'm definitely going to do this with my 3 and who knows they might surprise me! This book has a recommend retail price of £5.99

Now the rest of the box is especially for the furry members of the family, although certain things like this teaser may cause happiness elsewhere depending on how acrobatic your cat is..

Rosewood Jolly Moggy Teaser Collection Premium Catnip Toy - Patchwork Fish Teaser 

When they were younger Charlie and Tallulah loved this type of toy, chasing things and jumping in the air, now they've reached feline middle age and beyond though, they are a lot more sedentary and not quite as playful, but they still have what we call their mad half hours where they'll run round and play with anything in the their way. Still being a kitten though Max loves toys and especially teasers like this, he'll chase them, roll around, and even do somersaults if the mood takes him.

Compared to some of them that we already own this is a nice quality one, it has a shorter, thicker, sturdier wand, that has a nice velour feel. It features three nicely designed and made, patchwork fish, that contain kitty crack itself catnip. Apologies that the video isn't the best but if you have Instagram keep on my account over the next few days, to see how Max really does love his patchwork fish!

As well as treat for us and toys for the fluff, the Gus And Bella Box also gives you the chance to to make better food choices for you cat. A lot of the cat food that we buy contains somewhat questionable ingredients but Gus And Bella promises to give you the chance to try some high quality, natural and grain free cat food brands. Cats can be notoriously picky and awkward when it comes to food, so this a great chance to try before you buy

Hi Life Chicken Breast Treats - 10g

Chicken, every cat I've ever owned has worshipped the poultry god, cooked, raw, in nuggets, or cat food, they don't really care - they just eat it, but what about freeze dried? These treats contain nothing but 100% natural, freeze dried chicken breast. There is nothing added just small bite sized pieces of chicken. Being a vegetarian I really notice how bad some cat treats smell but there was no real scent from these and the proof is in the eating I guess, Tallulah was a huge fan, and I had no complaints from the other two either. This 10g retails at around £1.59 and I will definitely be tracking some more of these down for the chicken eaters!

Purr And Miaow Complete Gently Steamed Chicken With Trout Fillets In Broth - 85g

As well as the treats July's Gus And Bella Box also contained two wet food pouches I haven't managed to try these on the babes yet but I will post "their thoughts" to Instagram when I do . This pouch from the fabulously named Purr And Miaow contains real meat and fish, with no sugar, no grains, no hidden ingredients and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. This pouch has an estimated RRP of 89p

Blink! Roasted Chicken & Tender Duck Complete Cat Food - 85g

Now I've seen a few ads for Blink! on Instagram so I'm quite curious to see what the monsters think about this one. Made in Northampton this pouch contains real, natural shredded fillets of meat, it contains no meat, derivatives, and again no added sugar, salt or grains. I can't find a price for the individual pouched but 8 x 85g pouches retail at around £7.50.

Pawsecco Freeze Pops - 50ml 

The final item is something a bit unusual. I saw a few bottles of the liquid Pawsecco in various supermarkets before Christmas but this is especially for summer! Basically what it is, is a ready to freeze ice lolly not for you but for your pets. Suitable for both cats and dogs these are ice lollies that are created with veterinary experts to help your pets stay refreshed in the summer heat. Obviously they're alcohol free, and they contain no grapes, but they contain lots of safe herbal extracts. I'm going to wait until it's bit warmer to try this out but if I can't persuade them to have a taste (because it isn't chicken!) then you can melt them into a bowl and they might drink it that way. If you fancy trying these for your pet then they retail at around £5.99 for 6 x 50ml lollies.

I've got to say that I love both the concept and the execution of the Gus And Bella Box. A box with cat themed items on its own would be perfect for a cat lover like me but team it up with treats for my hairy children and everyone is happy. I love the whole idea of trying new and more natural cat food brands, and I like the idea of, and the health and happiness information in the Gus And Bella Guide To Healthy, Happy Cats. 

I'm definitely going to consider subscribing myself and if you're a crazy cat person like me, and you fancy trying a Gus And Bella Box either for yourself or as a gift, then use my code LOULOU5 before 14th August to get your box for a special price starting at just £24.90 depending on which subscription option you choose. You can find out more about Gus And Bella and how to subscribe on their website.

If you have any questions please let me know , and if you're a cat own leave me a comment below and tell me about your cats x 

*Press Sample

And Then There Were 3 Again - A New Addition

Now I've been a bit quiet on the blog over the last few weeks or so, but I've been a little bit preoccupied. Yes I'm in the middle of a bit of a fibro and ME flare, but I've also been a little bit busy making this little guy feel at home x Guys, meet Max!

Even though we still had Charlie and Tallulah, after the loss of Jake and Jasper, myself and Mummy Lou felt that there was a cat shaped hole in our lives. They really are part of our family, and we felt that we had a bit more love to give, so we decided to add another furry member to our family.

Although I've had pedigree cats in the past, I'm now a firm believer in the phrase "adopt don't shop" - there are so many cats out there that need loving homes that it made sense to us, to contact some local animal charities, and that's how we came across Consett Cat Rescue.

I really can't praise this charity enough, Kay runs the rescue from her own home, and she's so knowledgeable and helpful, and she's clearly very passionate about what she does. Given that we already had two grumpy older cats we decided that a kitten would probably the best bet. Every potential adopter fills in a questionnaire so Kay can determine the suitability of the owners and the type of cat that would suit them best. Once you've been approved then you can go and meet the cats, I can honestly say that me and Mummy Lou had one of the best mornings ever meeting some of Kay's many residents, but there was one little guy stood out and that was this one!

We've had him a week and a half now and I can honestly say that it's been a whirlwind. He's a teeny weeny ball of energy, he's loving, cuddly, brave and very energetic. He's really long but he's also quite small for a cat that's nearly 5 months old but I'm sure that he will grow into his ears at some point. He are some pictures of him with Charlie and Tallulah for scale x

Introducing a very lively kitten to two grumpy, very sedentary cats was interesting to say the least - he was really bold running up to them and trying to play, Charlie was terrified of him and Tallulah was just furious that someone had invaded her territory. It's taken a week and a half nearly but a truce has just about been reached and hopefully tolerance if not friendship is on the horizon. I managed to snap this picture this afternoon and this is the first time all three of them have been in the same place for any length of time!

He's honestly a ball of love and of energy, and watching him explore his new home has been slightly stressful but a lot of fun - there is something pretty hilarious about a kitty chasing a bottle top around the kitchen, and even though I'm flaring quite badly at the moment this little guy has cheered me up immensely, and he's been a great early birthday present x

As I say I can't praise Kay and the work she does enough, in order to get your cat, you make a donation of £90 to her charity but your cat will have been micro chipped, spayed, and vaccinated, and you also get four weeks free pet insurance. I honestly don't know how she does it, she relies purely on donations so if you're in the North East and you're interested in adopting a cat or even helping out an amazing charity, then please check out their website or their Facebook page. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to have some more kitten cuddles, and I pinkie promise that normal blogging will resume later this week with a very late empties post, and an unboxing or two. In the meantime though make sure your subscribed to my Instagram account, for some more kitty pictures and hopefully some pictures from my birthday celebrations this Wednesday x